1/30-31 - two shows only: MASTER HAROLD AND THE BOYS will play at Wharton Center for Performing Arts Friday, January 30, and Saturday, January 31 in the Pasant Theatre..

Upon returnng home from the comfort of his school, Hally, the son of a belligerent and bigoted father, finds Sam and Willie, black waiters in his mother’s restaurant, preparing for an upcoming dance competition. Talk of the past, of escaping through makeshift kites and dreaming of a world bearing no distinction of black and white, quickly gives way to a heated argument and hateful words that, once spoken, break the fabric of their relationship irreparably. With the impending threat of Hally’s father’s return, Hally crumbles beneath the pressures of a discriminatory society and unleashes upon his friends all the hate and pain that have been building up inside him, treating Sam and Willie ‒ for the first time ‒ as subservient. In a world that thrives on the “principle of perpetual disappointment” and despises the progress of social reform, Hally, Sam, and Willie will fight against the strain of their overbearing society and attempt to stay afloat in the prejudiced world that threatens to drown them.

The cast is brought to life by veteran actors Shawn Hamilton (Wharton Center’s Garden of Joy, Guthrie Theatre, Yale Repertory and Dallas Theatre Center ), Gavin Lawrence (the Goodman Theatre, the Steppenwolf Theatre, Off - Broadway), and, playing Hally with an essential burning intensity, is Michigan’s own Justin Dietzel. Following the Friday performance will be a 30 ‒ minute Q&A; a 1 ‒ hour After Chat will immediately follow the Saturday performance. “

Tickets are on sale now online at whartoncenter.com, at the Auto - Owners Insurance ticket office, or by calling 1 800 - WHARTON

(two more readings, Mondays, Feb 23 and March 2) both also at the downtown library, lower level.Please join us as we develop and explore new works for the upcoming World Premier of Goddesses. Featuring the work of six authors, we will provide readings of each script and seek audience reaction and comments. Your feedback will help the authors to hone their scripts for full production.

Featuring Artistic Director Tony Caselli and Executive Director John Lepard, for the first time together on stage, as brothers Kyle and Hamilton Best.

A hit from the Stratford Festival!

"...one of the most beautifully bittersweet plays MacIvor has written." - The Globe and Mail

"...underneath that wild hilarity is the MacIvor heart and wisdom ..." - thestar.com

"Fast and comic, MacIvor's script doesn't muddle through the unnecessary. The Best Brothers is about learning to love in ways previously unavailable..." -Broadway WorldClick here for a full description of the show.

1/25 - And the NEXT day…OPEN HOUSE Sunday, Jan. 25 - 3-5 pm at the new COSTUME SHOP run by Riverwalk Theatre.1131 May Street, Lansing, MI 48906 (just a block northeast of the Pennsylvania-Saginaw intersection)easy parkingno stairstemperate environmentample lightingdressing roomstons of costumes and accessoriesCome see what all the fuss is about — and think about the next event YOU need to dress up for!VOLUNTEERS are also needed to help keep the shop organized and efficient. If you are interested in helping out, talk to the hostesses at the open house event — or contact Mara McGill <msinmi@att.net> 517-256-2501

What is Mixed Casserole, you ask? It began with a few friends wanting to put together a cabaret program for Riverwalk Theatre. Among the themes tossed around were “miscast,” where we had the opportunity to sing songs that we usually couldn’t. Have you ever heard a song, and thought, “Wow, I would love to sing that!” only to realize that you were the wrong gender, race, age, or type to play the role? Well, we obviously have. Due to technology and this lovely thing called autocorrect, “Miscast” became “Mixed Casserole,” and this concert was born.Vocalists - Mandy Fuller, Tigi Habtemariam, Kyle Harwood, Joe Quick, Tony SumpThe Band - John Dale Smith, Jerry Krause, Jonathan Smith

Act 1“Tomorrow”/“Hard Knock Life” by Charles Strouse from Annie…….Annie and Orphans“Best Friend” by Michael John LaChiusa from The Wild Party…….Queenie and Kate “Sal Tlay Ka Siti” by Robert Lopez, Trey Parker, Matt Stone from The Book of Mormon…….Nabulungi“For Good” by Steven Schwartz from Wicked…….Galinda and Elphaba“16 Going on 17” by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II from The Sound of Music…….Rolf and Liesel“Only in New York” by Jeanine Tesori from Thoroughly Modern Millie…….Muzzy van Hossmere“Endless Night” by Elton John and Tim Rice from The Lion King…….Simba“Written in the Stars” by Elton John and Tim Rice from Aida…….Aida and Radames“Astonishing” by Jason Howland from Little Women…….Jo“Bend and Snap” by Benjamin O’Keefe from Legally Blonde…….Paulette and friends“Who Will Love Me as I Am?” by Bill Russell and Henry Krieger from Sideshow…….Violet and Daisy“Wheels of a Dream” by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens from Ragtime: The Musical…….Coalhouse and Sarah

Act 2 - Showstopper Showdown

“At the Ballet” by Marvin Hamlisch from A Chorus Line…….Sheila, Bebe, and Maggie“Let Me Be Your Star” by Marc Shaiman and Scott Whitman from Smash…….Karen and Ivy“Maybe This Time” by John Kander and Fred Ebb from Cabaret…….Sally Bowles“What About Love?” by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, and Stephen Bray from The Color Purple…….Celie and Shug “Let it Go” by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez from Disney’s Frozen…….Queen Elsa“So Long, Farewell” by Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein II from The Sound of Music…….Children

Jane, here. THE GARAGE SALE is MY script, that hasn’t been performed for 19 years — and I’m very excited to see it again at Starlight Dinner Theatre with Angela Dill and Chris Klaver — SO I dearly hope one of you Carpenter Types will step up to build these four boxes!

I think it would be a good deal to be paid in free tickets to this or another Starlight show (such as Camelot, which is up to $39 value, with dinner; The Garage Sale is “dessert-only” for $20) (And, of course, Linda would pay for the materials used.) This could be a fun and festive “basement project” to keep you warm this month?!

For THE GARAGE SALE show (runs March 13-15; boxes needed by Feb. 16) I (director, Linda Granger) need 3 oversized children's building blocks sturdy enough for a 6' tall person to safely stand on. I can do the painting and I have purchased the letters to stick on them. (see attached pictures 1 and 2)

I also need a box for Tuxedo Teddy. It should be 6' 8" tall with a top, bottom and sides (about 18” deep), durable enough to be tipped over. It should be “fancy” with maybe some ornately cut trim around the top worthy of a "collector's teddy bear”. I would paint the inside or maybe line with velvet fabric. (see attached pic 3).This is the guidance I was given by Bob Nees when I asked him about it:

"3/8" Plywood would work for all of the items. You would want plywood that is good on one side. You can get this at any of the box stores or any lumber company. Use 1 x 4 for a frame to attach the plywood. Nail and glue the 1 x 4 at the corners. Screws tend to split the wood. You can use screws to attach the plywood to the 1 x 4 frame. There are boxes that I built for a show some years ago and are at Riverwalk. Some have 1/4" plywood and others have thicker plywood. The thicker wood is to be able to stand on them. These will give you a idea of the size and how much material is needed."

My mother has a workshop behind her garage which is heated, available if necessary.

Please let me know if you are interested in building any of these pieces or all of them. Let me know if you would expect to be paid and if so, how much or if we can do some sort of a trade with dinner and show tickets. I will need to know ASAP. I would not need the pieces until February 16th.

If you enjoy thought-provoking contemporary theatre, please considering volunteering at Peppermint Creek. This involves two people per performance to sell/take tickets and hand out programs before the show, and sell concessions during intermission. Volunteers are compensated with free admission. If you would like to be added to our volunteer list, please contact Charlotte Ruppert at charcda@gmail.com.

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